White Lilies
by Dearmika
Summary: AU. As the day of his wedding approaches, Zoro is confused about many aspects of his life. He loves Tashigi, doesn't he? He made a mistake, she forgave him, everything's fine. So why is it that he just can't seem to get over Robin?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! This is the first time I'm uploading something here, and it just had to be a ZoRobin story. I don't know how long this is gonna get, but hopefully I can write it till the very end - I'm not the best at ending things, haha. Anyway, hope you like it!  
**

* * *

 **White Lilies  
** _Chapter 1_

* * *

Zoro woke up to the sound of an annoying, high-pitched voice.

"Sir? Are you awake, sir? We're finally done, you should come see it. She looks so cute with it."

"Huh? I must have dozed off…" He scratched his head and checked his surroundings. He was sitting on a pink footstool that was far too small for him and gave him a butt ache. The room was all decorated in pastel colors and smelled like one of those fancy shops that Nami loved. Oh, great, he was still in the wedding dress shop. But, as fancy as it was, it kinda looked like a battlefield –headless mannequins surrounded the place, lifeless forms wearing different types of white dresses - before that day, he thought all wedding dresses looked the same, and now he was sure of it. They were all expensive-looking, big and white.

"Zoro?" a known voice called from somewhere further inside the store.

He followed the irritating shop assistant, who didn't stop babbling about how the dress she picked up was perfect, how it fitted her so well, how lovely she looked with it and a bunch of other things he really didn't care about. Fortunately, she stopped talking once they reached the large dressing rooms.

He saw her image reflected on the mirror, inspecting herself with that insecure face she always did whenever she was trying something she felt was a little too provoking or too classy for her. The shop assistant, however, was right; Tashigi looked stunning in the dress. It still kinda looked like an exact copy of the dresses he saw at the front of the store, but it was different seeing it worn by a real human rather than a mannequin. It matched well her complexion and, even though she was not wearing any make up and had her hair up in a lazy bum, she looked ready to wed.

"Did you like it? It looks like a wedding cake"

"Quit it, darling, you look amazing" the shop assistant said in her shriek of a voice.

"Yeah, you look beautiful" Zoro allowed a smile to show up on his face, which made her blush, but seemed to cheer her up a bit. Tashigi was always so fierce about certain things, but when it came to her looks, she was a little unconfident for no apparent reason – she was a very beautiful girl. She looked at her image in the mirror again and smiled at Zoro's reflex, looking at her from a distance.

"I'll have the adjustments done by July at most, ok, honey?" The woman said, smiling to both of them. "When's gonna be the wedding?"

"September" Tashigi said, in contained excitement. Zoro, on the other hand, was taken by surprise. It's not that he didn't know the date of his own wedding; it's just that, when someone else said it out loud, the idea actually seemed so… real. And it was also so close… They were already in May, and hell, the thought of getting married in only four months still seemed kinda strange for him. He knew that was just stupid, because he was pretty much living a married life with Tashigi already – they had been living in her house for 3 years and been doing everything a married couple does, like… well, having dinner together? He actually had no idea about the daily life activities of a wife and husband, but he imagined it was pretty much like his daily life with her. But _actually_ getting married suddenly seemed like a heavy responsibility - maybe that was just because he was bad at commitments.

Tashigi seemed to perceive he was sterner that usual on their way out of the store.

"Something wrong, Zoro?"

"Huh? Nothing. I was just thinking it feels weird when you enter a store in daylight and leave it after it's already dark" although that wasn't what was really bothering him, it wasn't a lie, either. It sure felt weird.

"Sorry, I lost track of time in there, that shop assistant showed me dress after dress… But it looks like you slept through most of it" she chuckled.

"Sorry, I know I'm a bad companion"

"I love your companion" she gave him a smile and held his hand.

"Wanna grab dinner at Sanji's restaurant?"

"I'm working onboard tonight, remember? You even said you were going to Luffy's house" Tashigi was a Marine Officer ever since they met, but he could never memorize her work schedule really well. There were times when she'd have to stay at the headquarters overnight, and there were also times when she'd work onboard for a week. Zoro was a natural loner, but for some reason he didn't really enjoy being alone in their house. It was too big and too boring, and he'd rather just go to the dojo or one of his friend's house to chill.

"I always forget your schedule, it's always changing," he said with a grunt "I guess I'll walk you home and give him a call, then"

"There's no need to go with me, really," she said in her light but assertive tone, indicating she didn't want him to go. "The things is… Smoker's waiting to pick me up there. I'll just go and get some stuff before I leave"

The green haired boy frowned to that, as she expected. Zoro never really liked Smoker, ever since they met, and the feeling was certainly reciprocated. Tashigi's superior was a rude and blunt man, but she seemed to like him as a person and respect him in the hierarchy of work. When they had just started dating, Zoro was a little jealous of him, especially when he discovered that Tashigi had felt more than only sympathy and respect for him when she had just joined the Marines, but he learned to cope with the man. He was not good with words, so he almost never asked her about what she felt towards Smoker nowadays, and the few times he did, she reassured him he was just a friend to whom she felt respect and gratitude for everything he'd done for her, but Zoro was never so sure about that. It was all over her eyes, her expression, the way she talked – she became another woman when she was with Smoker. Zoro had no doubt that his girlfriend – _fiancée_ , he corrected in his mind, still not used to the word – loved him very much, but he could never shake away the feeling that she still had an attraction to Smoker. The thought used to bother him a lot before, but for some reason, it didn't anymore. He had his own ghosts to be bothered with, and his side of the story was way uglier than Tashigi's.

"I'll be back in the morning, ok? Don't overdrink and be sure to find your way home, you know how you always get lost" she laughed at his frown and embraced his whole body with her thin limbs. He gave her a smile and a goodbye kiss. Still in his embrace, she looked up at him with an eager, happy look that reminded him of her old self, the innocent shorthaired girl wearing big glasses, with an uncommon taste for swords, much like himself, and who reminded him of his dear, deceased friend. The harshness of her job, the things she had been through (most of them being his own fault) and life, in general, had transformed that demure little girl into the fierce, capable woman held in his arms, but the face she was making triggered memories of those old, unpreoccupied days, when she was just a friend, he was still with someone else and life was much easier.

"I'm so excited for our wedding. It's gonna be great" in her eyes, he could almost see her thoughts reflected, but somehow he couldn't join in their happiness. He was probably just tired; it had been a long day.

"Yeah, it will" he hoped his voice didn't betray the confused thoughts running through his mind, and he kissed her forehead to reassure her. Damn, he hated thinking too much about anything. It was a pain in the ass and had no purpose at all. He was a man of action, not thinking.

Still bearing that excited gleam in her expression, Tashigi gave him a small kiss on the lips and walked away, waving goodbye. He waved back and, when she was no longer visible, he sighed, his breath turning to smoke in the chilly air of the night. That part of the town was full of life, surrounded by people passing by, chatting or making their ways to the bars and restaurants that crammed the streets. Hell, he had to clear up his mind with some food and a little drinking. Even though the bars would normally be a good temptation – warm enough to escape the cold of the town and cheap booze to fill up his soul – he needed somewhere calmer that night, away from all the noise and neon lights of the downtown streets. Sanji's restaurant was just across the street. Even though he was constantly fighting with the stupid blond guy, they were actually really good friends, and even though he would never admit it, Sanji was very sensible when it came to his talks. They could start screaming at each other in the middle of some conversations, it was true, but Sanji was a pretty reliable guy to talk to about serious things. But Zeff was back in town for the week, and he'd probably be stuck in the kitchen under his strict surveillance, so Zoro was probably not gonna be able to talk to him and, more importantly, get some free food.

He flipped up his phone and ran through the contacts. Luffy was the first on the list, probably because that monkey was always sending him so many trash messages and filling up his message box. Not that he cared to clean it, anyway. But Luffy was probably not the best choice that day - not because of him, but because Nami knew Tashigi was having the wedding dress try on, and she would certainly flood him with a bunch of pain in the ass questions about the wedding, which he was certainly not in the mood to answer.

The second name on his list, however, he tried to ignore. He had been trying for a long time, but no matter how hard he did, the image of that person was always crawling back to his mind. It would come in flashbacks, small pieces of her that tried to hang on to his skin – he would sometimes have visions of her deep raven hair, smart eyes and, above everything else, that mischievous smile, which mocked him for so long, but which would sometimes turn to a sincere, simple smile, one that he found very comforting. In other circumstances, she'd be the first person to cross his mind, and he remembered calling her at random occasions – whether he just wanted to chill out, when he had problems - even if most of them were related to their very relationship, or when he was just missing her voice. Fuck, to be completely true, she was still the one he wanted to call now that his mind was so heavy and his thoughts, so twisted, and he wanted to slap himself for that. He swore to Tashigi so many times that he had forgotten that damn woman – and he tried really hard to do that. By that time, he swore to himself he didn't long for her as a woman, but in the end, he still missed her as a friend. Zoro was a lost and unreliable guy, and she was the one to put some sense into his thick head – but at the same time, she also drove him crazy sometimes. He found his eyes glued to the screen, staring at that name, such a simple name yet one that evoked so many memories. Nine letters that he spoke so many times in his mind, but so frantically tried to repress.

Yet when he turned his face away from the phone screen, he had the urge to kick destiny in the ass. Coming to his direction in the same sidewalk, wearing that mischievous smile, was the owner of the name he was making so much effort to forget:  
Nico Robin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey!  
I can't believe I've finished this chapter, haha. I thought I was never gonna make it, I'm such a lazy person, sigh. It got a little (ok, a lot) longer than the first one, and I think the next ones will probably be like this. Thanks a lot for the reviews! I was so excited when I read them, haha. I really appreciate it, thanks s2  
**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **White Lilies  
** _Chapter 2_

* * *

"Zoro"

The woman he had been avoiding for so long was now standing in front of him, as elegant as ever, wearing a dark overcoat that matched her hair color, her nose a little red by the cold. Hell, life could be ironic sometimes.

Nico Robin had a smile on her face, but her eyes were not smiling at all. It was her business card grin, the one she showed to everyone, be it someone she liked or hated. For a brief moment, Zoro felt a little hurt for having someone he had considered his closest friend – in a different way than Luffy – offer him such a fake smile, especially when they hadn't seen each other for so long. He knew she had a reason for that; ever since the _incident_ between them, they were acting almost like strangers, and things got to an even stranger ground when Robin started dating Crocodile, a man he hated and didn't trust in the slightest. Besides, Zoro was probably staring at her with the face of someone who had just eaten the sourest of lemons, so he couldn't really blame her for showing an artificial smile.

"Hey, Robin" he said, without being able to hide his discomfort. "Nobody told me you were already back"

"I just got back this morning. Franky went to pick me up at the airport and I met Nami and Luffy this afternoon, but I haven't told anyone else I was back"

Robin was an archaeologist, the best - and only one, he admitted - he had ever met, but work in the field was rare in the highly urbanized city where they lived, so most of her income – and prestige – came from her work as a university professor. For what Nami told him, she had been away for a month, financed by the university, to research some ancient civilization in some faraway place Zoro knew nothing about, but they hadn't met for an even longer time. The last time he had seen her face was in Usopp's _wedding_ – thinking of the word "wedding" contorted his stomach a little -, some good months before her trip. About that time, Zoro had just won Tashigi's trust again, and he was trying not to mess things up one more time. Soon after that, he proposed to her.

"Waiting for someone?"

"Huh?" He realized he had been standing there, on the cold, the phone still on his hand. "No, I was just…" _thinking of you_ , his mind filled the gap, and he shook this thought way. "…I was trying to call Luffy"

"Nami said they were going out tonight, but you might still catch him home if you run"

"Nah, don't wanna bother him in his date. He'd be the one to bother me in the end, but still. I'll just go try my luck with Zeff then and see if I can grab some free food"

"Funny, I was heading to the Baratie myself. I've really missed Sanji's coffee. Mind if I tag along?" She perked up her lips in a playful smile. Robin wasn't trying to entice him or anything; even though they hadn't talked to each other for such a long time, she was fully aware of his engagement, and she was far too respectful as a person to openly flirt with him in that condition. But her natural way was already alluring enough, and he could say by experience that even when she was not trying to do anything, he was drawn to her anyway. No, he was not letting that happen again – he loved Tashigi, didn't he?

Still, he couldn't just shove her aside. He sighed and shrugged in acceptance.

"You never listen to my opinion, anyway"

* * *

Baratie was a small but popular French themed restaurant in the area, acquiring its fame for the friendly price and tasty food – which meant it was usually crowded and Sanji, who worked as a chef, was always holed up in the kitchen. Monday was probably their less busy of days, but still, only a handful of tables were empty, the other ones mostly occupied by young people, who talked and laughed excitedly, filling the restaurant with the noise of loud chattering.

Sanji was carrying off a heavy looking plate in a single hand, with the elegance expected of a man who was going to succeed the restaurant one day, when Zeff retired – which probably wouldn't be so soon, as the one legged man was full of vigor, especially in his lungs, which were used to scream at his employees.

The boy opened up a bright smile when he saw Robin's figure coming in.

"Robin! I didn't know you were back! I've missed y-" he stopped mid-sentence when his eyes spotted Zoro coming after the girl, his smile fading to an almost comical grimace. "Oi, shithead, what are you doing here? And you're with… Eh… you and Robin, you…"

"Just shut up, dumbass" Zoro sat in the nearest empty table, frowning.

Robin chuckled and sit right in front of him. The blonde guy hurried to deliver the plate in his hand to the right customer and went back to them, his face a little confused over the fact that Zoro and Robin were acting so civilized towards each other – and he had the right to, because it was common knowledge between their friends that they were avoiding each other. It was made clear on Usopp's wedding, and even clearer when they threw a party to celebrate Zoro's engagement with Tashigi, and the archaeologist didn't show up. They all knew the full story behind this, so they understood _why_ they had reasons to ignore each other, but they never truly accepted the fact that they had to act like strangers.

"So, how was your trip, Robin? You look even more beautiful than when you left" Sanji beamed at her with his standard gallant look, a cigarette hanging from his lips. Zoro grimaced to that, but noticed he had dropped his confused expression and didn't try to question them as to why they were together – he could be a complete dolt when it came to women, but was fast to grasp serious situations.

"It was very enlightening" she smiled. "We managed to retrieve many rare items in the field trips, but a guy from my team fell off a cliff and broke his neck, so it got us a little late"

Zoro couldn't help but laugh at the matter-of-fact way she said it. At least he knew Robin hadn't changed a bit.

"Oh…" Sanji scratched his head and blew out the smoke of his cigarette, ignoring the fact that smoking inside the restaurant was strictly prohibited. "Anyway, I'm glad you're back. What would you like to eat? I'll make you a super special dish to celebrate your return"

"What about me? Will you make it super special too?" Zoro said in a mocking voice.

"Shut up or I'll put razors in your food"

"As long as it's free…" He retorted with a grunt.

The blonde pretended to ignore him.

"- As I was saying, what will _you_ want, my dear? Shall I bring you my special turkey marinara? Or maybe some pecan chicken? Or garlic shrimp pasta?"

"I just want a coffee," Robin said, giggling at their argument. She had certainly missed it.

"Are you sure?" Sanji looked disappointed. "Well, can't deny the wishes of a lady. I'll bring you a dessert to go with your coffee, then"

"Don't forget my dinner" Zoro shouted. The blonde gave him the middle finger and disappeared into the kitchen.

With Sanji gone, Zoro started to feel a little uncomfortable again. He still couldn't believe his 'luck'; of all the millions of people that lived in his city, how the hell did he end up meeting by chance the _only one_ he was running away from? He didn't really believe in destiny, so he could only interpret it as a test which some kind of force from above – not that he believed in that, too – sent to see if he was strong enough. Fuck, he had failed this test once. But this time he wouldn't; he loved Tashigi, and the day he proposed to her, he also promised he would never give her a reason to cry again.

"So, how have you been?" Robin's clever eyes were fixed in his figure, analyzing him like one of those books she was always reading.

"Good" he lied. "You?"

"Good" she mimicked his answer, and her eyes revealed that she was lying, too.

She took off her black coat; outside, the harsh wind was chastening the city, but inside the Baratie, it was starting to get a little hot, especially with the dense air coming from the kitchen and all that human warmth. Underneath the coat, she was wearing a purple shirt – her favorite color, he recalled – which outlined her generous cleavage. That also had to be part of the test. He had to focus.

"How's work? Is that troublesome kid still giving you a hard time? What was his name again… Momonosuke?"

"That brat's a pain in the ass, as always," he grunted. A few years ago, Zoro started to work as a teacher in a near dojo, but he thought he was still as bad as ever when it came to kids – they required patience, something he didn't really have. "In fact, they're all as bad as him; they never listen to what I say"

"You say that, but you're actually very good with them. They see you as their hero"

"Nah, they're too much trouble"

"Still, you said you wanted to have children, remember?"

He did remember. At the time he said that, he was lying in bed with a younger Robin, talking about random things, when the subject came up for some reason he had already forgotten. He was crazy for her at the time, and the thought of having one or two brats with Robin someday seemed extremely reasonable. Funny enough, his life looked a lot more sorted out before than it was now, even though he was about to get married, which was most people's idea of advancing in life.

"I do, someday, I guess…" He scratched his head, annoyed that she brought that up. "Tashigi will probably be better than me at this, though," He said, bluntly. No point being roundabout about the fact that they were not together anymore, and he _was_ getting married with Tashigi, after all, so the life plans he once made with Robin were still gonna get carried out… only not with Robin. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he felt a little guilty, as if he was somehow betraying his younger self. That's why he hated thinking too much about anything – it reminded him of things he didn't want to remember.

She muttered a small agreeing sound and smiled, keeping silent for the moment. Zoro's statement seemed to have no effect on her – even with the mention of Tashigi's name, which she was avoiding at all costs, for what Sanji told him. Not that any of their friends tried to talk to her about it, anyway – they were too afraid to upset her, somehow.  
He should have guessed that she wouldn't be bothered anymore by any of this – Tashigi, their relationship, his wedding – and it wasn't strange to think that she probably had already moved on. After all, Robin was much like himself, and not at all the type to be hanging on to feelings that wouldn't get her anywhere. She was conscious that the situation they were previously on was simply unbearable, and was the one to end it. But still, Zoro did feel a little betrayed by that, because while he was having such a hard time to erase her from his thoughts, she appeared to be completely fine. Was it too selfish of him to expect that she'd be suffering a little, too?

Just then, her phone started to ring in the pocket of her jeans, getting in the middle of his thoughts. She looked at the phone screen with a concerned look.

"Sorry, I have to take it" she apologized, standing up "It's from the history department; it must be important if they're calling me this late"

Zoro nodded and watched her distance herself from the noisy chattering, heading to the bathroom area, where she'd probably be able to hear the call. He had forgotten she'd always been a workaholic.

Sanji came right after, a big tray on his hand and a haughty smile on his face, which was quickly erased when he caught sight of Zoro's sour expression and found out that Robin wasn't there.

"She got a call from the university or something," the green haired boy explained before he even asked, pointing his head towards the direction where she went off to.

Sanji pouted and put down the tray, sitting down on the chair near Zoro.

"Your dinner, mosshead" Sanji handed him one of the plates, along with a glass of beer. "It's leftover from today's lunch"

"Thanks" he grunted. The hot steam coming out from the dish had a heavenly smell, and his stomach responded to it with an evil growl, apparently in a bad mood just as he was. Well, it made sense; he was hungry ever since he entered that dress store with Tashigi.

"Oi, Sanji, don't slack off! We're full, you know!" Patty, a fellow chef, screamed at him, startling some clients.

"Fuck off" he retorted and looked back at Zoro "So… how's Tashigi doing?"

He decided to start with the safest topic, it seemed.

"She's fine, had to work tonight"

"No, I mean, how are you two doing, with the wedding and everything?"

"Don't even start about the wedding" he sighed.

"Yeah, I can tell by your face how _excited_ you are" Sanji's smile denounced that he was a little upset. "Hey, I know this is a delicate matter, but… You just can't screw up again"

"Look, it's not what you're thinking; I'm not with Robin, ok? We just met by chance on the street just now and ended up coming to the same place, that's all"

"Geez, don't need to get all defensive, I wasn't talking about Robin; she's not the problem. You are" he exhaled the smoke of his cigarette slowly. "I mean… I worry about you, you idiot. You should really think about this whole wedding thing thoroughly."

"Yeah, the problem is the answer I'll reach if I do" he gave a bitter laugh.

"Well, you'll just have to be true to yourself. Of course you have no right to hurt Tashigi again, but marrying her without love is only gonna hurt her more in the future"

"I love her, you know that," he said. "But what if Robin _is_ really a problem here? I mean, right now she isn't… I guess…, but what if she becomes one again?"

"Then I'll beat the hell out of you. Zoro, you can't cheat on Tashigi again, remember the state she was in last time?" his voice was starting to get a little passionate. "And not just her, Robin too! She has been keeping everything for herself, but we all know how much she's been suffering. She feels guilty about this whole thing, you know? I would never forgive you if you hurt her again, and you know I mean it."

Zoro's face was impassive, but Sanji's words struck him like an arrow.

"I don't think Robin's suffering much, but anyway… you're right. I know I fucked it all up last time"

"Yeah…" the blonde's voice softened a little. "Sorry for the harsh words. It's just that… I can't see them suffer, and… it's hard to see you struggling with it, too." He felt a little awkward to say it. Sanji and Zoro were always bickering at each other, but the truth was that they were really good friends, and Sanji did care an awful lot about him. "I know this situation affected you a lot, but you really have to take a position. Think carefully about the wedding and your feelings for Tashigi"

"I know what I feel about her," he tried to say with confidence. He did. He did, right? "It's this whole damn wedding thing that's making me confused. And now Robin's showed up again and -"

"Indeed, I'm back" Robin's voice startled them.

"Ro-robin! Hey…! I brought your coffee, my dear!" Sanji cleared his throat and stood up, trying to regain his composure. "And a… a bourbon roasted peach cheesecake to go along with it. Not too sweet, as you like it. I hope you enjoy it, I made it with all my love"

"Thanks, it looks terrific"

Zoro and Sanji exchanged wary looks. Robin must have been a damn ninja in her previous life; he didn't even feel her coming. If she heard anything or not, he'd never know – she could conceal her emotions way too well.

"Please, enjoy it and tell me if everything's to your liking. Zeff's gonna kick my ass if I don't go back to work now, but I'll try to come and talk to you after I'm finished" Sanji's gallant smile was meant for Robin, but Zoro felt his words were also directed at him.

"I don't know if I'll be able to stay here much longer, though," Robin said, "Franky's giving me a ride home, so I'll have to go when he's finished work. I just came to see you quickly" she offered him one of her most enchanting smiles as an apology.

"Oh, that's a pity" Sanji pouted. "But you must be tired from the flight, and who am I to keep a beautiful lady from her well-deserved rest?"

"Oh, just shut up" Zoro frowned.

"Mind your own business, dickhead"

They started the endless cycle of throwing insults at each other until Zeff's voice could be heard from the kitchen, and Sanji couldn't help but resignedly answer to his call. Robin chuckled and took a sip of her coffee, her head resting casually in one hand. A thought crossed Zoro's mind when he was finishing his beer.

"You're going to the Galley La?"

"Yes" Robin turned her eyes away from the cup. "Franky said he could come, but the traffic here in downtown is always bad. He'd take some time to get here, so I said I could just go there myself"

"It's dangerous to go there alone"

"I can handle a little danger," she said in her teasing voice, chuckling.

"Cut it out. Of course I won't let you go by yourself like this. I'm going with you"

* * *

Outside the restaurant, the wind was cold with the promise of snow, and it chilled Zoro to the bones. It was a little past 10, and downtown was buzzing with excitement – cars rushed by in the large avenues, people got in and out of the bars, and the sidewalks were crammed with people walking in pairs. But the streets leading to the northeast part of the city were less crowded and lively, and by the time they reached the office of the Galley La Company, all the commercial establishments of the area were already closed for the night, and the street was cold and empty.

Galley La started out as a modest company in the shipbuilding industry, but success came quickly and now the company owned by Franky's brother, Iceburg, had acquired quite the name for itself. The office building was squashed between others, but it was certainly the most imposing construction on the area.

"Franky said he won't take long to come down" Robin said to Zoro. "You really don't have to wait for me"

"Oh yeah, as if I'd just leave you alone in this empty street after coming all the way here" he grunted, "Why don't you go up and wait for him there, anyway?"

"I never got along too well with Iceburg," she chuckled. "Besides, there's too much bureaucracy to enter the building, it's a little troublesome"

"So I'll just wait here with you"

"You never change, always helping the damsels in distress" she teased him, giggling at his stubbornness "Today felt like going back in time"

He noticed that her eyes were bearing a different expression than the one she was trying to pass, although Zoro couldn't grasp exactly what it was.

"Yeah… Except things were a hell of a lot easier before"

"Were they, now?" she asked in that fake quizzical tone that was one of her specialties, raising her eyebrows.

"All I cared about was drinking and training. Couldn't get any easier"

"That hasn't changed at all, has it?" she chuckled.

"Well, yes, now… now I'm gonna get married"

"…Indeed" her lips curved into a smile – her business card smile. "September, correct? I heard it's one of the best months to get married, the weather is nice"

"Yeah…" he grimaced.

"You shouldn't make that face. It's not very nice with her"

By _her_ , she probably meant Tashigi. So she was really trying to avoid using her name, as Sanji told him.

"Tashigi's great. She's not the problem."

"What is the problem, then?"

He looked at her eyes, which reflected the faint light of the streetlamps. _What was the problem?_ He wasn't sure if there really was one.

"I don't know. It's a pain just trying to think about it. I think I'll just screw it all up somehow and -"

He stopped after realizing how fucked up that situation was. He was just telling his ex-girlfriend - his reason for cheating on Tashigi, the woman who wouldn't get out of his head - about his wedding problems. Actually, that wasn't quite right – it was not to his ex-lover that he was saying it; it was to his friend, his best companion, the one who'd always listen to him, but it was still a weird situation.  
He and Robin have always had a special connection, even before they started dating, and there was no need to say anything for one to understand the other. They talked through silence, and Zoro always thought that observing her expressions, her body movements, and especially her eyes, was the best way to understand the enigma that was Nico Robin. And he knew that, even now, she was the only one who could understand him completely – no Sanji, Tashigi or Luffy were a match for her ability to read him as if he was a simple sentence on a book.

"Forget it. I shouldn't be telling you that"

"Your wedding's an important matter; I don't mind listening to it"

"Well, that's the problem," he snorted.

"What?" her eyes glimmered with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "So you want to see me getting angry or sad about it?"

"At least I wouldn't feel stupid for thinking about you if you did" He felt his emotions boiling up, but took a deep breath to contain them. There was no reason for having that type of conversation. They were not together anymore; it was a pointless conversation.

Robin was staring at him intently, her face a flawless mask.

"Zoro, I don't see what's your point"

"I know. Forget it. I was stupid for even thinking you could be angry about it."

"…I have no right to be angry about it. It's your life, I must respect the path you chose and cheer you on" she broke the eye contact between them, letting her eyes wander through the deserted street. "Although I've been lacking in this part. I should never have got in the middle of your happiness in the first place"

Zoro was taken aback by her words. He stared intently at her face, trying to search for the true of those eyes, eyes that were so used to deceive people into thinking she was unshakeable, like a mountain. _She feels guilty about this whole thing_ , _you know?_ Sanji's words popped into his head.

"What are you talking about?" his deep voice echoed in the street, getting carried away by the wind. "If there's someone to blame for this whole situation, that's me. Dammit, I was the one dating Tashigi, not you"

"But I should have though the situation thoroughly" her eyes met his again. They were dark and serious, and there was a hint of bitterness in her voice. "I wasn't thinking straight at the time. I should've foreseen that an affair would obviously ruin our relation afterwards, but… but I wasn't being rational"

"Robin, it wasn't your fault, I was also confused. I knew I was screwing up, but… but I wanted you, you know that. I couldn't stop thinking about you at the time." _At the moment, too_ , but he kept this part for himself. "It looks like you always get me in my less rational state, too" he allowed a bitter laugh to scape his lips.

"Either way, I should've known better. I never wanted to lose you as a friend."

"…That's my line," he said sourly. "When you didn't show up in that stupid engagement party they decided to throw, I thought that you never wanted to see my face again"

"I didn't. And I couldn't face your fiancée either, but I should've gone, anyway. It was an important moment in your life"

"Oh, never mind it, I wouldn't go to yours too if you were marrying Crocodile or something" he frowned.

"Even if I asked you to be the best man?" she asked playfully.

"Don't even joke about it"

"Don't worry; I'm certainly not marrying him" she giggled and gave him a smile, a _real_ one, and Zoro couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic about it. It was like finally seeing the real Robin again.

"I've missed you"

"I've missed you too, Roronoa Zoro"

He embraced her body, as he always did after they reconciled after a fight back when they were still dating. Robin embraced him too, her curvaceous body feeling almost small against his muscled one. He leaned his head in her jet-black hair, and his nostrils were filled with the usual sweet flowery scent of her shampoo. It was a good sensation, and for a minute, he allowed himself to forget all the worries about the wedding. The only sound reaching his ears was the slow whisper of the cold wind, and the whole world seemed quiet. A world where they could understand each other, even though there was no sound -

\- Until a noise broke their world of silence – the roaring of a powerful engine, followed by a blinding light, coming from the headlight of a car that was getting out of the garage of the Galley La Company building. Robin got out of Zoro's embrace, and suddenly her flawless mask was back on again, the usual teasing smile on her lips.

"So we're partners in crime again?"

"You can bet" He also had a perky expression on his face.

"Hey, wedding man!" Franky said, stopping right by them, his head coming out of the driver's window. "It's been a long time, bro"

"Hey, Franky" Zoro groaned at the mention of the word.

It was just then that the blue-haired man realized that Zoro and Robin were together. He stared at them with a confused face, but thankfully, like Sanji, didn't ask anything. Robin could explain it all to him later.

"Sorry for making you two wait, we were super busy at the office today. That stupid Iceburg had me working overtime"

"No problem. You're giving me a free ride, after all"

"I'm not Nami to be charging fees. But lunch at your house tomorrow would be one hell of a way to repay it"

"Consider yourself invited, then" Robin said to Franky, chuckling in a good mood, and turned to Zoro before getting on the front seat of the car. She gave him one more teasing smile, which he responded with a smirk. Words were simply not needed.

"You don't want a ride home?" Franky noticed the green haired man stood still on the sidewalk, in front of Galley La. "Don't worry, I won't charge you a lunch"

"No, I feel like walking home, it's a good exercise"

"Whatever you say" Franky waved goodbye and took off. Zoro watched the car gain speed and disappear in the end of the narrow street. He grinned to himself and started to walk, breathing deeply the chilly air of the night. His night ended the same way it started – alone and thinking about a certain raven-haired archaeologist, but this time, her image was not accompanied with pain or confusion, but relief. Life was really ironic sometimes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, everyone! I'm really sorry for taking so long to update this chapter, but I've been really busy with a number of things, and it was nearly impossible to find time to write. Now it's all over, though, and once again I'm lazy with lots of time to write, so hopefully the next chapter won't take so long, haha.  
Once again, thanks so much for the reviews, you're all so nice, hahaha s2 I love reading your suggestions, so if you have any, feel free to say it! Regarding Robin's age, thanks for both of your opinions, but I think I won't say anything about how old any of the characters are, because, in the end, it's not gonna interfere in the flow of the story. But thanks, anyway! And thanks again for all the reviews!**

* * *

 **ABOUT THIS CHAPTER: I think you'll all notice, but I just wanted to state it so that it wouldn't be so confusing: this chapter goes back and forth between a flashback and the current timeline. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

 **White Lilies  
** _Chapter 3_

* * *

- _1 year before-_

Zoro had just arrived with his friends, but as soon as he set out to look for a drink, they all managed to disappear somewhere, like magic, and he couldn't find them – or more importantly, the drinks - anywhere. He'd never admit it out loud, but the truth was that he got lost – it wasn't his fault, though; all of the rooms kinda looked the same, and so did the people inside them; he had a hard time figuring out if they just looked alike or if he was really entering the same place over and over.

The party to promote Iceburg's political campaign was being held in his own house, a _modest_ 4-bedroom suite situated in the southeast part of the city, a rich neighborhood at the heart of the city's financial center. Franky's brother had apparently taken a like to Luffy and his friends, so Zoro didn't find it strange when they got invited to such a fancy party (and apparently, 'the more the merrier' worked for campaign parties), but he wasn't expecting to see so many known faces there as well. Some belonged to people he didn't really wanna run into, like Luffy's grandfather, Garp - he liked and respected him, but the old man would always greet him with a strong pat that could almost break his elbow. Besides, he appeared to be having a heated discussion with an old _frenemy_ , Don Chinjao. Zoro was quick to get out of there.

The next room was very similar to the previous one – he was still suspicious that they all looked the same – but in that, he spotted a man holding a shining silver tray filled with tall glasses. _Finally, the drinks_. Zoro got two at once, not giving a damn to etiquette. He drank one in one gulp and returned the empty glass to the tray - he was feeling hot and annoyed, and the urge to drink was increasing every minute he spent there.

The hem of his suit was a little tight on the neck, which only made him more bothered. In reality, the whole idea of wearing formal attire was a nuisance – it reminded him of the suffering he had gone through in the previous day. He'd been forced to spend the whole afternoon shopping with Nami and Robin for the occasion – well, _Nami_ was the only one who really shopped; Robin only bought a dress, while the orange haired woman bought thousands of them, and made Zoro carry all of her bags, saying he owed her some money. If that wasn't torture enough, she also forced him to enter a myriad of stores in search for a suit, and made him try on all the ones that the shopkeepers offered. Nami inspected him every time he came out of the dressing room, approving or disapproving his looks, while Robin stood next to her, giggling.

But the rest of the previous day was the true source of his annoyance - after Nami's shopping spree, Robin invited him to have dinner at her house – it was almost an act of kindness, as she knew Zoro was gonna cook for himself that night, and his attempts at the kitchen were always disastrous, to say the least. Robin's cooking wasn't as good as Sanji's, but it was still very good, and after dinner, Zoro ended up crashing at her couch - although he didn't sleep at all; they stayed up all night talking. Far from the boring shopping he was forced to do, the end of his day had been thoroughly enjoyable, but _that_ was the problem: when it came to Robin's company, he enjoyed it way too much. Back when they were dating, it was ok, but now that he was with Tashigi, feeling the way he did when he was with the archaeologist was kind of a big problem.

He stared at the drink in his hand, seriously considering the whole situation. If he had to think about it, his guess would be that he had grown used to Robin's presence, as a friend and as… something else. But was that all? At that point, he couldn't deny anymore that she was evoking some feelings inside of him, and he wondered if he'd ever _stopped_ feeling something for her at all. Their last relationship was over for more than a year, and he was dating Tashigi ever since, but maybe it was the fact that they were going through a rough phase, or because he was spending more time with Robin, but the result was that he simply couldn't get the raven haired girl off his head.

And that wasn't fair with Tashigi.  
He finished the second drink and realized he couldn't let the situation go on like this; one more night like the previous one with the raven-haired girl and maybe he wouldn't be able to keep his cool. But if he stopped to think about it, _anytime_ he was with Robin was the same; her presence affected him way too much, and perhaps his relationship would be safer if he managed to spend some time away from her. They had been friends for a long time, so he was sure it was not gonna be easy, and he thought that communicating her of his decision was the right thing to do. Making up his mind, he set out to search for her.

He had to find Robin.

* * *

"What do you think of this one?"

"Huh?" he was in the middle of a yawn when Tashigi asked his opinion, apparently pointing at something. He was standing behind her, pretending to look at… what was that again? A _wedding portfolio_ or whatever it was called, but his attention was long gone – at least he'd been a little more patient than Luffy, who had been running around and complaining ever since they got to the office of the company they contracted for the buffet.

"I think it looks out of place when you consider the rest of the decoration" Nami was standing beside Tashigi, furrowing her brows, analyzing every design very seriously.

"Who's the groom here?" Zoro grunted, his annoyance only half-true, "You can't meddle in someone else's wedding"

"Yes I can, especially when said person is too lazy to even pay attention" she spat at him, decidedly. "And besides, Tashigi called me because she knows of my good taste, right?"

Being too shy to say that it was actually because she just wanted a second opinion from a friend, Tashigi shook her head and adjusted her glasses in a clumsy way. No matter how much time passed and how hard life got on her, she'd never lose this almost cute side, and Zoro was kinda glad for that. He held her waist and embraced her from behind, taking a real look at the paper in front of him this time. But when he did, and discovered that they were having all this trouble picking _napkin designs_ , he sighed, his interest starting to fade away again. Why were people so meticulous about every aspect of weddings?

"So, what do you think of this one?"

"It looks good. In fact, they all do, it's just a napkin. What's the use of picking a beautiful design when people are gonna clean their mouths in it in the end?"

"And that's why I'm here" Nami sighed.

"Guys, seriously, where's the banquet?" Luffy asked in a dragged voice, indicating he was ultimately bored and hungry – and that was a fearsome combination, when it came to him.

"It's _buffet_ , and I already told you there's no buffet today, it's just for the wedding" The orange haired girl said, irritated.

"So please, marry soon, Zoro," he said in his suffering tone.

Tashigi laughed, but even though he knew it was just Luffy being himself in his hungry state, Zoro still got a little awkward hearing it like this. He scratched his head; the word "marriage" hadn't quite settled in his mind yet, even though it was getting closer every day.

"Sorry, Luffy, we'll just finish picking this and then we can have lunch" Tashigi apologized with a smile.

"I didn't realize we've been here for so long" Nami checked the expensive looking watch on her wrist. _I did_ , Zoro thought, annoyed. "If we were near Sanji's restaurant, we could eat for free"

"Ahem" the buffet attendant cleared her throat, the way they always did when they wanted to interrupt a conversation "There's a great restaurant downstairs, on the 2nd floor"

"Really? But this part of the town is a little on the expensive side" Nami pouted, letting her head fall in her hand in an exaggerated gesture. "It'd be nice if the groom treated us today, right?"

"Don't even start, you witch" Zoro grunted while Nami and Tashigi giggled at the background. Since when did they become such good friends?

"Food!" Luffy said, happily, his energy magically coming back "Let's go, guys"

"Sorry, we still have to pick the design" Tashigi looked at the raven-haired boy with an apologetic face. "I promise it'll be quick"

"I'm sorry for having interrupted you, but the boy looked so hungry" the attendant was as apologetic as Tashigi.

"He's always hungry, this one" Nami pinched Luffy's cheeks, but then wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him gently on the spot she was previously pinching. Luffy laughed, agreeing to her statement, and wrapped her in a tight hug that lacked elegance, but was his expansive way to show affection. Nami was always harsh with him, but Zoro knew how much those two liked each other. Nami and Luffy had been together for an even longer time than him and Robin – when they were together, anyway -, and the green haired boy always had the impression that he was gonna be Luffy's best man before he could be his. Life liked to play on the unpredictable side, sometimes.

"So, what do you think of this one, Zoro?" Tashigi was pointing at some napkin design stamped on the paper. _Here we go again_.

* * *

As big as it was, Iceburg's 4-bedroom suite was overflowing with people, and Zoro couldn't avoid bumping into them as he made his way to search for Robin. Actually, at that point, he wasn't searching anymore – he was just being carried away by the flow, hoping to find a familiar face or at least someone serving drinks again.

He had no luck with the later, but was relieved to spot a flashy pink hair in the distance. What the hell, it seemed like everyone he knew was in that party. He bumped annoyingly into some people until he was close enough to the girl.

"Perona, what are you doing here?"

"Zoro?!" the girl screamed, a little startled. "I'm the one who should be asking, why didn't you reply to my message? I-"

As soon as he heard her shrill voice, he frowned, regretting it already. Perona was almost like a little sister to him, but her tendency to go on infinite conversations – on which she was the only one to talk – or complain about things, to be more accurate – wasn't restricted to people she was familiar with. She was a very pretty girl, and that night, specifically, she was looking rather neat, and looking at her confident appearance, it would be hard to guess she was such whiny girl.

"Luffy spammed my message box and now I can't receive them – as always" he sighed, answering her question even though she was already whining about something else. "Did you come with Mihawk?"

"Yeah, but that big jerk went somewhere as soon as we got here" she pouted. "And this party is so boring"

"Yeah" he had to agree with that one. "Have you seen Robin?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"None of your business" he grunted.

"So I'm not telling you" she shot him one of her mischievous smiles. "Anyway, where are your friends? You know, I _have_ seen her, Robin, but she wasn't with them, and your friends are already really weird, but she was with that man which was way weirder and I think-"

"Huh? Which man?"

"I don't know, a strange man. I think he knows Mihawk"

Zoro had a gut feeling of who it could be, and he sure as hell hoped he was wrong.

"Ok, gotta go. Talk to you later"

"What? Won't you stay and keep me company?" she pouted.

"No way in hell" he said with a mocking smile, already bumping his way out of that room.

"You're so un-cute!" he could hear she whining, but there were far too many people in that room for him to look back at her. It had been a while since he had talked to Perona and Mihawk. He should probably stop by to see them one of these days.

The room next to that one was less crowded, but there was no sign of the woman he'd been searching – it wasn't a complete waste of time, though, because a man very similar to the first one was holding a tray full of wonderful looking drinks. He got two again, just to be sure. Zoro roamed around for a while – and got lost in the process – until his eyes finally landed on a man in a corner of the room. It was a man he didn't like, and everything about him inspired that feeling – his face, his fancy clothes, his affected smile – but what he would hate even more was gonna be seeing her standing by his side, so he really hoped, as he approached the man, that she wasn't there.

But life was always fucked up; there she was.

Robin was looking simply stunning – he knew his opinion was biased, but he couldn't help but stare at her slim figure, which was looking even better in the black cocktail dress she'd bought the day before. Her hair was done up in a style which probably had a name, but he had no idea what it was called. He only knew that it made her even more beautiful, if that was even possible. And she was smiling at that idiot – though the green haired boy was kinda glad to notice it was her business card smile.

Zoro emptied one of his glasses in one gulp. All of a sudden, the things he thought about saying to her started to fade away from his mind, losing momentum. Hell, why did she have to be so beautiful and always make him so confused? He started to take deep gulps from the remaining drink when it dawned on him that she was _indeed_ with that man, Crocodile. From the distance, he couldn't hear what they were talking about – and he sure as hell didn't want to know -, but the conversation appeared to be pleasant, as both of them were smiling, with Robin occasionally giggling.

He felt an emotion stirring up inside of him, but wasn't sure of what it was. He finished the second drink, hoping that the liquid would smooth whatever it was. But when it didn't, he realized it was stupid to stand there looking at them – and he had been doing that for a while, so his feet started dragging him to the door of the balcony, at the end of the room. Until a voice called him from behind.

"Zoro"

It was a voice that was deep and soft at the same time, a voice he liked so much, belonging to the one person in that room – or that party, that city, that world – he wanted to talk to the most.  
Nico Robin was standing behind him, and thinking that she might have seen him staring at her made him a little embarrassed, but he was glad that at least she wasn't talking with that Crocodile guy anymore. On the other hand, now he'd have to face her.

"Hey" he scratched his head, still feeling that uneasy, uncertain emotion.

"It's good to finally see you here. Iceburg certainly knows a lot of people, huh"

He understood the subtle message of her phrase, which was saying how annoyingly crowded that place was. They were, at that moment, experiencing the effects of the lack of space – Robin was standing _dangerously_ near to him – their faces really close to each other, and he swore he could smell her flowery scent even though there were probably hundreds of people wearing strong perfumes in the room.

"It's pretty stuffy in here; do you wanna see the view outside? I'm curious as to what this city looks like from the 27th floor"

Zoro was glad that she, too, hated crowded places.

"Yeah, I was going there just now"

* * *

The buffet attendant was right; the place at the 2nd floor was really great. It was more like a café than a restaurant, but the food was delicious, anyhow, and a fresh coffee aroma permeated the ambience. He knew someone who would love this kind of place, but was trying to keep her out of his head.

"Zoro, I know how you'd rather die than spend all day picking tableware designs" Tashigi was sitting on his side at the table "So… I really wanted to thank you"

The boy knew, by her gestures, that she wanted to kiss him, but was too shy to do it in front of Luffy and Nami, so she just gave him a bright, warm smile, instead. He wasn't very keen on public display of affections either, but he returned her words with a sincere smile and a kiss on her forehead.

"It's my wedding too" He tried not to sound too unnatural, although the phrase sounded a little alien on his head "You shouldn't thank me; you should kick my ass if I didn't accompany you in all of this"

"Yeah, you definitely need your ass kicked sometimes" Tashigi laughed, "Especially yesterday; did you know you forgot your keys again?"

"Yeah, I saw them on the table when I got home" he scratched his head.

"Zoro's an idiot," Luffy laughed with his mouth partially full. "Hey, did you get the message I sent you yesterday?"

"Don't spam my box again, you moron, I've deleted it all just the other day"

"I'm going to the restroom, wanna come, Nami?" Tashigi said as she stood up. Why was it that girls always wanted to go to the bathroom together?

"No, thanks, I'm fine" the orange haired girl smiled at her, and her eyes accompanied the other girl's figure until she was sure that she wouldn't hear. "I have something to ask you, Zoro"

 _Here it comes_. There was no need for her to say the subject; if she had to wait for Tashigi to leave before she said anything, then there was only one thing she could be meaning to talk about. But Zoro sighed and asked her, anyway.

"What is it?"

"What about you and Robin?" she asked outspokenly. Nami had always been straight to the point.

"Who told you about it?" his encounter with Robin had happened a week before, so he imagined their friends would be talking about it already, but considering how close Nami was with the archaeologist, Zoro was curious to know if it had been her to say it to Nami.

"Sanji"

 _Curse him_.

" _What_ about me and Robin?"

"Come on, you know what I'm talking about" she snorted. "Really, Zoro, how are you too coming along?"

"Why don't you ask her, dammit?" He grunted. His mind got a little hazy with this conversation, and he wondered if it was a self-defense mechanism to prevent him from discovering how much he was really enjoying her company again – _in a friendly way_ , he reminded himself, like a mantra, _nothing else_.

"Because I'm asking _you_ "

"We're okay, nothing special" he shrugged, trying to believe in his own words. "I've missed her terribly. _As a friend_ "

"All this time she was missing you too, you know? I guess I shouldn't be telling you this" Nami's tone got as serious as Zoro's. "…Does Tashigi know about it?"

"Not yet" his words came out more bitter than he had expected, and he knew it was because he was feeling kinda guilty about that whole situation. "But it's not like we're doing anything wrong. We're just being… friends, like always"

"Yeah, but you know how you've never been _just_ friends. You always end up falling for her, in the end"

Her words struck him harder than the blows he was used to receive at the dojo. They were hard to hear, but that didn't take the veracity out of them.

"It's not that I always fall for her again; it's that, in the end, I'd never stopped loving her" he said, bitterly resigned. "But it's not like this anymore. Things are different now; I'm gonna get married"

"True, but you don't seem too excited," Nami said, and at Zoro's guilty silence, she sighed. "I'm worried about Tashigi, Zoro. I think you should at least tell her that you're talking with Robin again"

"I don't think she'll be too worried about this part, but I doubt she'll be comfortable with me meeting her after her class"

"You're going out with Robin?" She sounded a little shocked.

"Don't put it like this, it's not _going out_ " he scratched his head, uncomfortable. "We're just going to a café. We're trying to act like friends again, like we always did"

"You know how much I like seeing you guys like this again" she arched her eyebrows, looking at him sincerely in the eyes. "But are you sure you can go on without feeling something else for Robin again?"

The question got him thinking more than it should. He couldn't just blurt out a 'yes' or a 'no', because, honestly, he wasn't sure any of this answers were correct. He wasn't sure there even _was_ an answer for that.

"I don't know"

"See, that's what I'm saying, and even though I love you and Robin as a couple, you're in a huge commitment now with- yes, I think Sanji's food's way better, but this place is still good" Nami froze for a second mid-sentence and, when she changed the subject to something completely unrelated, Zoro understood that his _fiancé_ was probably coming back. He checked with the corner of his eyes and confirmed that he was right.

With Tashigi back, the only thing left from the conversation were Nami's significant looks at Zoro, which only added to his heavy, somewhat guilty mind.

He was glad when he and Tashigi finally got home; the day seemed way too long and tiresome, even though they only had to arrange things for the buffet.

He plunged himself down on the sofa and let his head fall on the soft fabric of the cushion - that was all he usually needed for a good nap. But not on that day. His head was full of spinning, bothersome thoughts, and it was hard to divert from them, so he opened his eyes with a grunt and let his gaze fixed on the white ceiling for a while – not that this helped with anything, but it gave him space to think.

Nami was right; he knew he had to talk with Tashigi about Robin, especially when their relationship was built with mutual trust – something he was aware he didn't deserve after having cheated on her, so he felt that he owed the girl telling her the truth. Tashigi was a very comprehensive person, and if he told her in a straightforward manner that he and Robin were friends again, she might not care too much. Well, maybe she'd feel a little uncomfortable about it, and Zoro understood she had the right to, but he felt that he, too, had the right to act normally with his longtime friend. _We're not doing anything wrong_ ; he repeated his mantra inside his head.

His cellphone gave a loud beep inside his pocket, and he couldn't help but grin when he opened the message. _Speak of the devil_.

 _"_ _Doctor Clover asked me to fill up for another professor tomorrow, so I won't be leaving until 5pm, ok?"_

He replied to her, cursing her timing and the annoying tiny letters of the cellphone keyboard. He couldn't deny that he _was_ happy to see her tomorrow, and tried to reassure himself that it was just because he enjoyed her presence. Everything would be good if he just stopped thinking about her for the moment.

Zoro turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels, without paying much mind to the contents on any of them, in an almost mechanical act. He was pressing the remote control button so fast that he almost missed a channel that was showing a magnificent blade. The intricate design of the hilt caught his attention – just as expected from someone who admired swords so much – and he stopped to really pay attention at the program. Apparently, it was a documentary on a channel about history, concerning old sword designs. Tashigi's love for swords was a match to his own, and he thought she might like to watch it too.

"Tashigi" he called, tilting his head to check if she was at the kitchen.

She appeared on top of the stairs that led to their room and the bathroom. A towel was wrapped in her obviously wet hair, and she was already dressed for the night, wearing small shorts under one of his old shirts that was too tight for him but too big for her. But it fitted her in a funny manner, and he thought she was looking very attractive.

"Huh?" she got down the stairs while drying her hair with the towel.

"There's a sword documentary on the TV" he signaled it with his eyes, and she sit down by his side, adjusting the glasses on her face.

Zoro propelled his arm around her neck and pulled her closer, and she adjusted her position in his chest, both of them still glued to the program. It was really interesting and rich on historical background, and he thought someone else would like to watch it too, but tried to repress this thought as soon as it got to his head, refraining his desire to text her about it. He couldn't think about her…

…He couldn't, but he was. He clicked his tongue, annoyed at himself, and noticed the soft sound of Tashigi's breath on his chest. He didn't even notice she had fallen asleep, she must have been tired – Zoro remembered her coming back from work right before dawn. Very carefully, he took off her glasses and placed them on the side table. The green haired boy let his gaze fall on her for a while; she was looking very peaceful, and watching her sleeping like this made a small smile appear on his face. He knew he liked Tashigi very much, and that his life would keep its steady, calm pace once they were married. A nice life with a nice person, without too much nuisances, was everything he could've asked for.

So why was it that he kept thinking about Robin?

* * *

Zoro wasn't sure if he considered the city viewed from the 27th floor anymore plain than he did from down below – in his opinion, it was still the same old concrete jungle -, but it looked like Robin appreciated it quite a bit. She didn't say anything, but her soft smile and contemplative look - very similar to the one she had on when analyzing an old interesting artefact - denounced her feelings.

"Here" he handed her the jacket of his social clothes without even asking if she was cold; her bare shoulders were making him feel cold just looking at her. "I have to tell you something"

"Thanks" she accepted it with a curious look and stared at him after she had covered her back with it, without putting on the sleeves. As he didn't say anything else, she added, "I'm all ears"

But Zoro didn't say anything after that, too. He held the woman's gaze, trying to find the right words to say he had to stay away from her. His mind was like a coliseum – different thoughts were fighting each other to see which one would be the first to come out of his mouth. He didn't want to say it, but he _had_ to, for the sake of his relationship, above everything, but also for his own sanity.

The thought that won the fight in his mind, though, was about something else.

"Why were you with Crocodile?" even saying that name was enough to make his stomach churn.

"…That's what you had to tell me?" Robin smiled wryly, probably expecting anything but that.

"No, but that was bothering me before"

"He's not a bad companion. I know Luffy and you don't like him, but we were just talking about his company and how it deals with old, valuable artefacts. He ended up offering me a job, and I think I'm gonna take it"

 _What?_ Zoro thought about blurting it out, but gulped it down and did his best to keep his cool, although it was easy to notice that he was irritated. "But that means you'll have to deal with him often"

"Naturally" she giggled.

"Robin, you can't do that," his voice sounded a little more passionate than it should "This man is really suspicious, he looks like he's involved with dirty money; it could be dangerous"

"You don't need to worry about me" this time she gave him a real smile "Crocodile just looks like a scary man, but he can't do anything to harm me. He doesn't know anything about me or my job aside from what I told him, and besides, he doesn't have a reason to do anything, anyway"

Zoro knew that what she said made sense, but this constant weird feeling was still bugging him. His pride wouldn't allow him to say it aloud, but he knew, deep inside himself, that he was jealous. He grunted to shake the feeling away.

"Anyway, if he ever hurts you, I'm gonna seriously murder him"

Robin giggled at his protectiveness, finding it cute, and embraced his body. She did it in an almost motherly way, but when he embraced her back, he sensed his brain wasn't reacting in a 'family' way at all.

He felt the urge to run his hand through her dark hair, to sense her soft, pale skin. He could be like this for all eternity, feeling the scent of her floral perfume, which was ever so present and made him think that it was the default scent of her skin, and feeling the warmness of her body while the urban noises of the street down below worked as background music.

But that was no good.

"Robin, I can't do it"

"Huh?" her voice was purring in his ears. He swore he could go mad like this.

"I don't wanna be away from you"

As if contradicting his words – and his own will, which desperately wanted to stay in her embrace – he pulled away from her warm body.

"And why would you be away from me?" Her eyes glinted with the smallest hint of suspicion and curiosity.

Zoro sighed, mildly annoyed at himself.

"Because I lose my self-control when I'm around you, dammit"

Robin didn't look surprised with his statement, but stood silently gazing at him. He knew she was trying to conceal her emotions – and hell, she was good at it – but he could perceive a small agitation in her eyes. It had been there for only a fraction of seconds, but it was enough for him to understand that she wasn't as calm as she was pretending to be.

"Zoro, I don't want you to get troubled by me" her voice was very serious.

"Too late for that" he gave a bitter smile. "…I can't stop thinking about you. Ever since we broke up"

Saying those words made him feel like a jerk – it had been reckless, impulsive, and worst of all – true. His pride and sensible side were like a buzzer warning him about his commitment with Tashigi, but in his mind, the words he really wanted to say to Robin were fighting to come out. He swallowed them and stared at her intently.

The agitation in her eyes was now very perceptible. Her expression hinted that she wanted to say something, but was refraining to do so, much like him. At that moment, the green haired boy felt as if every mundane aspect – the noise of the traffic from the street, the muffled sound of the party reaching the balcony, the chill of the wind – had disappeared. It was only him and Robin.

"I know it's stupid to be telling you all of this" Zoro said, still annoyed at himself, his feelings, the world. "But I can't do this crap; I can't say I want to stay away from you when I don't really mean it"

Silence. Robin's scrutinizing gaze was unbearable, making him more guilty about the whole situation. He just couldn't decipher what was hiding in her agitation; was she feeling guilty too or simply too uncomfortable with the whole situation to say something? Thinking about it, he was being really inconvenient: not only was he being dishonest with Tashigi, putting her aside, but also shoving his feelings on Robin without considering if she wanted to hear it or not. His stubbornness always made him a little blind for these types of thing.

"Look, just forget it"

"…I've already tried to distance myself from you, but I failed. You're not the only who's trying hard"

"Huh?"

Her tone was sounding a little different from the one he was used to hear coming from her mouth; it was lacking its normal confidence, giving her true feelings away. Seeing her step away from her usual unshakable pose was peculiar, but not at all bad; it reminded him that Robin was, after all, just like everyone else, even though sometimes he couldn't help but think ' _how does she manage to always be so incredible?_ '

"Zoro, I… I'm honestly confused. I thought a lot about it, but I haven't reached a conclusion yet"

"About what?"

"About us". She said, simply.

"Yeah, I know what it's like" he sniggered.

"What a great pair we are" her coy smile hit him harder than what she was probably expecting.

He didn't know what kind of impulse took over his body – only that it was triggered by that smile - but he found himself hugging her, feeling her warm body once again against his. Thoughts complaining about life's incoherence crossed his mind – why the hell were two people who were, apparently, constantly thinking about each other, not together? – but he shook them away because, firstly, he was trying to maintain the last ray of faithfulness to Tashigi, and secondly, because life had no fault on that matter. He and Robin broke up on their own will.

Robin slowly gave in to the hug, and wrapped her arms around his waist in a very resistant way – he couldn't say that she was more stubborn than him, but the raven haired girl was surely more mature; she knew that situation would bring no good, but it was possible to see that she, too, was giving in to the impetus of her body, instead of the warnings on her brain.

A car was honking like crazy in the large avenue downstairs, and Zoro thought that it was probably the world warning him of the trouble he was getting himself into, but at that moment, he didn't really care. Robin's presence had always been reassuring to him, and he had the feeling that, as long as he was by her side, he was gonna be ok. It was a cliché, sentimental feeling, and that made him realize the words he really wanted to tell her from the beginning. _Oh, fuck_. Now that they were in that situation, it didn't matter much if he said it or not – they were already flirting with danger, anyway.

"I-" _oh, dammit, say it already_. "I guess I'm still in love with you"

"That was the worst 'I love you' I've heard in my entire life" she had a teasing tone on her voice, but considering it was Robin, it might as well be her true opinion. Her mouth was still near his ear, and every half-whispered word of hers was driving him crazy.

The green haired boy gave her a fake frown and looked at her eyes. He buried his fingers at her nape, feeling her soft hair, rediscovering the sensation that his mind never allowed him to forget. Robin closed the distance between them, until their faces were just barely touching.

"Are you sure?" Robin said, but as she did, her fingers kept running through his chest, not wanting to let go. He knew that her keen mind had, for once, lost the battle.

Zoro didn't respond. He pulled her waist closer in a gentle way – considering his strength and usual lack of delicacy – and, when he did, their lips inevitably touched. He felt minor shockwaves running through his body as he felt her wonderful, soft lips, a sensation that made him feel electric and calm at the same time. His mouth was needing her, and he could tell that she was the same; she was returning his actions with the same intensity. The archaeologist's hands were wrapped around his neck, and when one of her fingers started delicately tracing a path from the base of his neck to his hair, he started kissing her even more intensely, irrevocably turned on.

When she stopped to breath, he took the opportunity to plant a kiss on her neck, feeling the shockwaves again with the contact of his mouth on her skin. The skin that he longed for such a long time to touch again.

"People are starting to look this way," she said between breaths with a voice that, in his ears, sounded alluring, but maybe that was because he was already bewitched by her spell.

He looked at the direction her eyes were indicating, and he could see that some people were indeed looking at them, although the frosted glass that separated the balcony from the party was probably hiding their identity. People were not interested in _who_ they were, just at the fact that there were people making out in a political campaign party.

"Let them see" he said, kissing her again.

He would hate to admit it, but guilty never crossed his mind on that moment.


End file.
